Cigarette-machine



(bin Model 4 Sheets-Shem 4.

W. HUDSON. CIGARETTE MACHINE.

No. 587,825. Patentd Aug. 10,1897.

l I llllll INLVEMTDB:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. y

BY DIRECT AND MEb'NE ASSIGNMENTS, TO- THE' L onnrrrz' oicnnn r rn NACHIXE COMPANY, OF NEVT YORK.

' CIGA TTE-M CHINE- SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Iatent'No. 537,825, dated August 10, icon. Applicationfiled June 11,1895. Renewed December 24,1895; Serial memory. (ro an) To all whom it may concern,-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM ARCH'HUD- son, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city of Washington, in the Dis trict of Columbia, have invented a new and,

useful Cigarette-Machine, of which the 'following is a specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in cigarette mach'ines; and the object is to provide an improved and simplified. machine for making, wrapping or enveloping, and .crim ping and closing or tucking in the ends of thatc'lass of cigarettes known as Spauish position when severing the cigarette and the tucking-fingers open to permit the projection and passageof thecigarette through the tube or passage in the reciprocating frame. Fig- 3 is a longitudinal vertical section showing the cutting mechanism elevated and the tucking-fingers as in the position of engaging with the ends of the cigarette for the purpose of tucking or crimping the ends. Fig.4'is a plan View of the 'uiachine. Fig. 5;is anenl-arged v [View of the cutting mechanism in elevation tucking-fingers open. Fig. .7 is a detail plan of the forming-tube removed from the ma- '50 A designates thebase-piece ofthe frame,

having mounted thereon and secured thereto and into the bore or tube of the reciprocating and section through the frame of the machine,. taken on the line a; wot Fig. 1. Fig. dis-a longitudinal vertical section of the reciproeating frame, showing the knite down and the chine. Fig. 7 is a transverse section otthe 1 forming-tube, taken on the line VIIVI'I of of the two side pieces 1 2, in or on which the mechanism is mounted and arranged. In the side pieces 1 2 are formed suit-able hearings-in which are journaled two shafts Z3 4, carrying 5.5 rollers or drums 5 6,-011 which is arranged an endless carrying-belt 7. The belt maybe perforated at determined distances, as at 8,1;0; engage studs Qonthe drum .6 to insure uni- 5 form movement of the belt and prevent it from slipping during Operation.

' B designates theforming-tube,secured in the frame in horizontal alinementwith' the upper lineof the-carrying-belt, which passes through the tube andis made to takeoras. sume a tubular conformation during the pas. j sage through the formin'g-tube. The'vformlug-tube 'B is open at the receivingend 1 O, which'is arranged under the hopper, and from thence is tubular and may be slightlytap'ered 770 to the discharge end,"so that the continuous cigarette isproperly compressed during the passage through the' tube. The underside of the forming-tube has an opening 11 therein, near thewdischa-rge end, tlirough which; the belt is led from the tube, the wrappedor e nveloped continuouscigarette beinglpushed on through the remainder of the forming-tube For convenience inputtingthe belt through the forming-tube or removing it therefrom thetube-may be slitonthe upper radial line frame.

fro'm the entrance to: a point opposite to'the" belt-opening in the under side, s'o'that the belt may-be laid iu'the'tube, and after being; 4 arrangedabout the drums haie theendssecured together, and-if removal is required it maybe lifted from the tube after the ends have been separated.-' v v f By. leading. the forming-beltv through an opening in thetube short of the end thereof] the continuous cigarette is released from the compression of the belt and carried forward through the extension of the tube and into 5' the-tube of the reciprocating carriagewitn,

out tendency tobreak' down or be otherwise disturbed'or distorted by the-unfolding of the belt at the point of: leaving the continuous cigarette; I To carry the edges .ofthe paper-Wrapper into a lapped position, one edge of-the form.

ing-tube at the entrance thereof is formed with a folding or lapping device consisting of a projection (1, extending across the slit or entrance to tube, and which is struck slightly 5 down below the line of the tube, as shown ,in Figs. 7 and 7 oflhe drawings, which carries one edge of the paperunder the other edge and thus laps the edges of the wrapper, the lapped condition being maintained through- 10 out theentire operation, resultin g in the completed cigarette.

On the end of the frame is secured a support 12, carrying a shaft 13, on which is arranged the roll or web of paper 14,- whioh is preferably led under a guide-roller 15, and thence through the forming-tube, and on and in contact with the upper surface of the endless carrying-belt. It is apparent that-the paper rests fiat and open on the belt at that part directly under the hopper and that as it is carried and drawn into the forming-tube by the belt with its supply of. tobaccd it is made to take a tubular form and closely wrap and completely envelop the contents. Motion may be imparted to the belt by means of a pulley 16 on the shaft l of the drum 6. This pulley 16 may be mounted on its shaft with sufficient rigidity to operate the mechanism during the process of manufacture, but if it is desirable or necessary to stop the movement of the belt during the time-the knife is cuttingthrou gh the filled papertube a springclutch or other suitable'holding device, as 17, may be used to hold the pulley, so as to slip when the load is increased. stop, a brake 18 maybe secured to the reciprocating carriage to engage with the belt and bear it against the drum, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

A hopper O is mounted on the frame of the machine, the discharge end of the'hopper opening directly over. the open and receiving end portion of the forming-tube, so as to always present the supply of tobacco to the paper below.

To prevent the tobacco in the hopper from becoming clogged or caked, a stirrer-rod 19 is provided, whereon are secured fingers 20, which agitate the tobacco. The rod 19 is carried back and secured to some convenient point on the reciprocating carriage, whereby when the carriage is carried back and forth the stirrer will be correspondingly moved and the tobacco kept free and loose in the hopper. The stirrer-rod 19 in the construction shown in the drawings has the outer end supported on a yoke 21., the limbs of which are secured to the floor of the reciprocating carriage, substantially as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

In the bottom of the hopper is a sliding bottom 21 serving the purpose of stopping the feed of material whenever desired, and at the end of the hopper is ad justablysecu'red a gate 9, which may be raised or lowered to regulate the amount of tobacco necessary to make the feed even. to the tube. At the rear portion of the frame on the up;

To make thisper edges of the side pieces are formed or secured tracks 22 2:3,which take in ways 24 in the bottom face of the reciprocating carriage D. The carriage D has formed in it longitudinally and in alinement with the formingtube a circular way 25, through which the cigarettes are pushed as they emerge, from the forming-tube, and in the central portion of the carriage is an openin'g'26, adapted to receive thetucking-fingers. The way 25 may be lined with a smooth metal tube 25 substantially as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The tube 25 is formed with upper and lower alining slots a a through which the tuckingfingers have access to the cigarette during the operation of closing the ends thereof. On the carriage D is secured a vertical plate or standard 27, in which is formed a vertical groove 28, and arrangedand fitted in this groove 28 is a substantial metal bar 29, carrying the cutting mechanism. The cutting mechanism consists of a circular knife 30,

mounted on a stud-bearing 30, secured in. the bar 29, the bearing 5O also carrying a small gear-wheel 81, which meshes with a larger gear-wheel 32,0n a stud-bearing 32, on which is another small gear-wheel 33, in.

turn meshing with a large gear-wheel 3i, on a stud-bearing 34 tically-arranged rack-bar 35,whioh is engaged by the gear-Wheel 34, substantially as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The carriage D is given longitudinal reciprocation by means of gear-wheels 36 and 36* on the drivin -shaft, meshing with smaller gear-wheels 37 37 each carrying a wrist-pin 38, to which is connected one end'of the connecting-rods 39, having the other ends suitably connected to the carriage, substantially as shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5.

The cutting mechanism is reciprocated by On the plate 27 isa vermeans of the following-described appliances:

On the upper part of the bar 29 is rigidly secured a cross-bar 40, having the ends extended in both directions beyond the edges of the x no plate 27 and made in crank shape, and to the ends of this bar 40 are pivotally connected the pitmen-rods all 41 the lower endsof which are pivotally connected to the wristpins 38, so that the bar 29 is raised and lowered when the wheels37 37 are rotated, the operative arrangement of the respective connections of the carriage and the cutting mechanism being such that when the knife is at its lower position the tuckers are open, as.

pairs substantially asshowm and b b, mount- 'on" shafts journaled in the reciprocating rriage'across theopeningtherein, as best ,shown in Fig. 6 of. the drawings, and when seen in Fig. 6 of the drawings,- the upper fingers of each set being slotted to permit the lower finger of each set to engage in the slot and turn, crimp, or tuck. in the endsof the cigarettes.

' To operate the tucking-fingers, a rack-bar,

' 45, which engages with the gear-wheel 46 on the shaft of thelower finger a of that set, .which gear 46 engages" witha-gear-wheel-H on the shaft of the otherlower tucking-finger, l the upper finger of the rear set being rotated bymeans of the gear 48 meshing with the gear-wheel 44, substantially as shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings The 'gearings of thetucking-fingers are so proportioned as to cause the upper fingers to engage the cigarettes slightly in advance of the engagement of. the lower fingers, so as to make'the nppe'r'fold slightly in advance of the lower one, and so that the lower fingers press the lower fold slightly beyond the up per fingers, permitting them to be released from engagement without coming in contact with the lower fold 'when returning to their original open position. The'operation of the machine is as follows:

The paper having been led into the formingtube under the hopper and subjected to the supply of tobacco therefronr the machine may be started for operation, and thefollowing steps of making and completing the cigare tte will then take place: The wrapping or 1 enveloping the tobacco will be effected as the paper with its contents is drawn through the forming-tube, which operation is continuous during the movements of the machine. lVhile the cigarette-tube is beingcarried through the forming-tube inthe direction of the tube 4 of the reciprocating carriage and reaches the determined distance 'or 'length, being one half the length of the cigarette, the reciprocating carriagemovesback, reaching the ,inner limit at a time when the cigarette has been moved the other remaining half of the length, and the knife descends and cuts off the cigarette.

The carriage simultaneously therewith commences the outer. movement and the knife begins to ascend, and the first set of fingers will tuck the outer or first end ofthat cigarette during the outer movement of the carriage, and then as the carriage returns the fingers are opened to permit'the free passage of the moving cigarette-tube, which will push the first-made cigarette forward a length, and the. knife will sever another cigarette, the adjacent ends of. the two cigarettes arriving at the center of the opening in the carriage and at that point be subjected to the action of the tucking-fingers,

the second or rearset of fingerstucking the inner end of the first-made cigarette, thus completing it, and the first set tuckingthe outer-end of the second cigarette, and so in succeeding movements the adjacent ends of two cigarettes as they arrive at the middle of the opening in the tube of the reciprocating carriage, as indicated by the dotted line. a will be simultaneously tucked andclosed,

and this operation will be successively re;

pcated. v I 4 It will be understood that the machine is primarily adapted to make cigarettes by a continuous and uninterrupted movement of the filled paper tube, and that'it i's di scre-- tionary to momentarily stop the progress of the filled papertube during the, operation of cutting and tucking.

I do not herein claim thebroad process of making cigarettes by first forming a continu-- ous cigarette or stem, thenforming-therefrom separate cigarettes'crimped at the-ends,-

as such process is claimed in my application filed December 22, 1896, and given'serial- No.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is-' 1. The, combination with the forming-tube and endless belt arranged as specified, of a reciprocating carriage formed-with a longitu: dinal passage in alinement with the formingtube and arranged to telescope therewith, a knife on the reciprocating carriage to sever a formed cigarette, and operatively-connected tucking-fingers arranged in the path of the longitudinal'passage in the reciprocating carriage to crimpand close the ends of 'the'cigarettes. v v

2. In a cigarette-machine,the combination of a reciprocating carriage, having a passage therethro'ugh for a continuous cigarette,-

means to sever the continuous cigarette intodetermined lengths, and operatively-conn ected interengagingtucking-fingers to engage the severed and abutting ends of the adjacent cigarettes, substantially as and for the ,purpose set forth.

3. In a cigarette-machine the'coinbination of the cutter for severingthe bontinuouscigarette, the reciprocating carriage provided with a longitudinal passage therethrough toreoeive a continuous cigarette, meansfor reciprocating the carriage, and tucking-fingers journaled across the said passage arranged to grasp the end of a severed cigarette and the adjacent end of the continuous cigarette and close the paper over the contents thereof, substantially as-specified.

4:. In a cigarette-machine the combination of the ,longitudinally-reciprocating carriage provided-with a longitudinal passage there through to receive a continuous cigarette, a vert-ically-reciprocatingand revolubl'e knife on the carriage for severing the continuous cigarette, means'for reciprocatingthe carriage, vmeans for reciprocating and rotating the knife, tucking mechanism; carried by said carriage'and means for feeding the continuiio ous cigarette to said carriage, knife and-tucking mechanisms, substantially as described. 5. In acigarette-machine,the'combination' with a forming-tube, mechanism to carr Y a continuous cigarette therethrough, a reciproeating frame, a cutting mechanism to sever the continuous cigarette, comprising a vertical standard formed witha central vertical groove, a sliding bar in the groove, a rotatable knife on the bar, gearing on the bar to rotate the knife, a rack-bar on the standard to rotate the gearing, and means to reciprocate the sliding bar, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination with a reciprocating carriage, formed 'With a longitudinal passage, of a slotted tubein the passage, and oppositely-rotating reciprocating tucking-fingers journaled in the carriage, adapted to enter I the slot of the tube and grasp and tuck the adjacent ends of cigarettes in the tube, as described.

7 The combination of the endless carryingbelt, the reciprocating carriage, and a brake secured to the carriage arranged to engage the carrying-belt, and temporarily stop its movement. I

8. The combination with the hopper, and the reciprocating carriage, of a stirrer in the hopper, the handle whereof is secured tothe reciprocating carriage, substantially as de scribed.

9. In a cigarette-machine, the combination with the forming-tube, and a.1 eciprocating carriage,'of a vertically-reciprocating,and rptatingknife to sever the continuous cigarette; j

scribed.

and tucking-fingers in' the carriage to grasp the ends of the cigarettes and tuck the paper thereon d u rin g: the passage through the carriage.

forming a continuous rod or stem of tobacco and Wrapping it Witl-rpaper, of a cutter for severing the said Wrapped rod into separate cigarettes and opcratively-connected mechcigarettes, substantially as specified.

11. The combination Wlth mechanism for forming a continuous rod or stem of tobacco and wrapping it .with" paper, of a cutter for severing saidu'rapped rod or stem into sepat each side of each cut, substantially as de- 12. The combination of' mechanism'for forming a rodor stern of tobacco and wrap-L ping it with paper, of a cutter for severing said rrappcd rod or stem into separate cigarettes, two sets of crimping-fingers'operating reverscly of each other and placed to crimp thepaper on both sides of each cut by the said cutter, and operatively connected with the forming mechanism, scribed.

In 'ivitness whereof I have heretoset my hand in the presence of two-attesting witnesses.

substantiall; as de- IILLIAM A. HUDSON. attest:

A. G. HnrLi/I N;

L. P. Curran-En.

W p 40 10.. The combination withmechanism for l 45 ism for crimping-the paper at the ends of the 

